Harper: Rauner’s Phony Education Funding Plan Robs Local Children to Reward Wealthy Schools

CHICAGO – Gov. Bruce Rauner is attempting to rewrite fair education funding legislation to favor his wealthy schools at the expense of local students, state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, said Monday:

“Our area is home to some of the most under-funded schools in the country. There’s no reason our children shouldn’t have the same opportunities as students in Bruce Rauner’s wealthy suburbs. That’s why I fought for legislation that provides fair funding to every school in the state, not just the select few. But Governor Rauner is trying to rewrite the bill to actually make the system less fair for local students and funnel even more money to his wealthy school districts.

“The state’s education funding formula isn’t working for our families, and Bruce Rauner’s plan is actually worse than the status quo. He is pitting one child against another. While my plan was a permanent guarantee of more funding for every school, his plan picks winners and losers. Within a few years, schools like ours will lose even more money, only to see it funneled to the wealthy suburban districts that Bruce Rauner and his rich friends send their children too.

“This is the clearest and most heartless indication yet that the governor simply does not care about our students.”